Here's why Trump's MSG rally in NYC is drawing criticism
NEW YORK - Former President Donald Trump is set to hold a rally at Madison Square Garden this weekend, just nine days before Election Day, drawing comparisons to some of the venue’s most infamous events.
Since the 1800s, The Garden has been the venue for both Democratic and Republican National Conventions. Notably, in 1939, it was the site of consecutive rallies for pro-Nazi and Communist Party supporters as tensions rose before World War II. In 1962, Marilyn Monroe famously performed "Happy Birthday" for President John F. Kennedy, further contributing to the legendary status of what the New York Knicks announcer refers to as "the world’s most famous arena!"
Hillary Clinton called the rally a "reenactment" attempt of the Nazi gathering, to which Trump’s campaign fired back, calling her remarks "disgusting."
It’s unclear what Trump’s rally will look like or what the theme will be, but here are some key moments from the political history of Madison Square Garden.
SKIP TO: Pro-Nazi rally | Nixon rally | DNC conventions | George Wallace | John F. Kennedy
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Nazi MSG Rally, 1939
On Feb. 20, 1939, a "Pro American Rally" was held at Madison Square Garden to celebrate George Washington's birthday.
People could be seen wearing Nazi armbands, waving American flags, and displaying signs with slogans like "Stop Jewish Domination of Christian America," as seen in photos and detailed in an NPR report "When Nazis Took Manhattan."
The event was one of many held by American Nazi groups from 1934 to 1936 at the Garden. However, this was the largest one yet, garning nearly 20,000 attendees months after Kristallnacht, according to a report from The Atlantic.
At the time, New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia and Governor Herbert Lehman faced criticism for permitting the rally during the Great Depression.
SKIP TO: Pro-Nazi rally | Nixon rally | DNC conventions | George Wallace | John F. Kennedy
(Original Caption) New York, New York: Stunned as was everyone else by the freak accident, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia is shown as he talked to a reporter at the scene where an Army B-25 bomber crashed into the 76th floor of the Empire State Building i
LaGuardia defended the principle of free speech, asserting that all groups, including Nazis, had the right to express their views. He often condemned the Nazi agenda, earning him the title "the Nazis' greatest enemy."
The anti-Nazi feelings of 15,000 New Yorkers were vented in a torchlight parade down 8th Avenue, topped off by several hours of oratory at Madison Square Garden. The parade was a protest of American participation in the Olympic Games in Berlin.
The rally featured anti-Semitic speeches and included the Pledge of Allegiance, which was met with enthusiastic applause.
The rally was was later featured in the Oscar-nominated short film "A Night at the Garden."
George Wallace campaigns in New York
George Wallace (C) speaks onstage during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York Cirty on July 13, 1976. (Photo by Pierre Schermann/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images)
The current Garden, opened in 1968 about a mile south of the original, hosts the NBA's Knicks, NHL's Rangers, and various events. During his 1968 presidential campaign, George Wallace, representing the American Independent Party, delivered a "Stand Up for America" speech that echoed the populist nationalism seen in Trump's "Make America Great Again" movement (AP).
SKIP TO: Pro-Nazi rally | Nixon rally | DNC conventions | George Wallace | John F. Kennedy
Convention site for Democrats, Republicans
Tom Bradley (L) and Hubert Humphrey (R) appear onstage during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York Cirty on July 13, 1976. (Photo by Pierre Schermann/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images)
This Garden hosted the Democratic National Conventions in 1976, 1980, and 1992, and the Republican National Convention in 2004.
Accepting his nomination, Jimmy Carter referenced the Vietnam War and Watergate, saying, "Our country has lived through a time of torment... It is now a time for healing."
The 2004 Republican convention was the only one held at Madison Square Garden, occurring while New York was still affected by the World Trade Center attacks (AP).
John F. Kennedy's birthday with Marilyn Monroe
On May 19, 1962, the Democratic Party held a fundraiser and birthday party for John F. Kennedy at the Garden, where Marilyn Monroe sang "Happy Birthday." "Heat waves still rose in the Garden when, after a sultry rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ by Marilyn Monroe, the President remarked: ‘I can now retire from politics,’" the AP reported.
Kennedy joked he could retire from politics, just months before both he and Monroe tragically died (AP).
What will Trump at MSG be like?
The NYPD hasn’t detailed a specific security plan for Trump's rally, nor has the city announced road closures for high-profile guests.
But New Yorkers should expect tight security and a lot of buzz in the area, with likely protests as seen at past rallies.
SKIP TO: Pro-Nazi rally | Nixon rally | DNC conventions | George Wallace | John F. Kennedy
NYPD deploys 1,700 officers to Nazi rally
During the 1939 Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden, the NYPD deployed 1,700 officers—enough, according to the NYC Department of Records & Information Services, "to stop a revolution."
Midtown streets overflowed with protesters, accompanied by a nearby Broadway orchestra playing "The Star-Spangled Banner." A crusader also broadcast anti-Nazi messages from a rooming house, urging people to "Be American, stay at home."
Similarly, Richard Nixon’s 1968 rally took place amid heightened security and intense social upheaval. During that turbulent election year, Robert Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were assassinated, protests erupted at both the Democratic and Republican conventions, and the Vietnam War raged on.
SKIP TO: Pro-Nazi rally | Nixon rally | DNC conventions | George Wallace | John F. Kennedy
American politician and then-current (and ultimately successful) US Presidential candidate Richard Nixon (1913 - 1994) addresses supporters during a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, October 31, 1968. (Photo by David Fenton
The NYPD’s Bureau of Special Services and Investigations conducted covert surveillance, with plainclothes officers blending in with the crowd as Nixon took the stage.
President Nixon Halloween Rally, 1968
President Richard Nixon held a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 31, 1968, just one week before winning the presidential election.
Like most rallies today, the event featured performances to entertain the crowd before politicians took the stage to advocate for him.
His major talking points included "law and order" and "peace at home, peace abroad." Outside the venue, lines of protesters opposed Nixon, accusing him of being pro-war.
SKIP TO: Pro-Nazi rally | Nixon rally | DNC conventions | George Wallace | John F. Kennedy
When is Trump at Madison Square Garden?
Doors for the Sunday, Oct. 27 event open at 12 p.m.
The rally will begin at 5 p.m. The city has not announced specific road closures, but New Yorkers should expect tight security and tons of buzz in the area.